How To Combat Cyber Security Burnout

Uploaded on 2023-09-04 in TECHNOLOGY--Resilience, NEWS-Cybersecurity News, FREE TO VIEW

As cyberattacks continue to rise, the well-being of cybersecurity professionals has become a growing concern. Burnout syndrome is a significant threat to organisations' cybersecurity, leading to decreased job satisfaction and high turnover rates. But by automating and consolidating security technologies, you can alleviate the burden on your team and create a healthier work environment.

According to Gartner, burnout is a pervasive issue in the cybersecurity industry, with predictions suggesting that half of the security managers will change jobs by 2025 due to burnout. 

A recent study revealed that some 66% of cybersecurity professionals in Europe claim to have experienced fatigue during 2022. In addition, 51% say they have worked more than four hours extra a week above their scheduled hours. 

In addition, 65% of CISOs stated that their ability to protect their organization is compromised by the overwhelming workload they face, and nearly 100% admitted that they needed additional resources.

These startling statistics certainly highlight the urgent need for change.

Understanding The Causes 

The lack of work-life balance is a significant factor contributing to burnout in cybersecurity teams. Professionals in this field must be constantly alert to potential cyber threats, resulting in heightened stress levels and an inability to disconnect from work. Repetitive manual tasks like system monitoring, incident detection, and reporting also contribute to chronic stress and exhaustion. The sheer volume of these tasks can lead to a loss of focus and increased chances of errors.

Examples of how these repetitive tasks can cause problems include: 

  • Overlooking spam and malware-related anomalies after investigating countless IP addresses.
  • Ignoring alerts or assuming false positives due to receiving countless alerts or not having the time or visibility to alert affected groups allowing an infection to spread.
  • Neglecting system updates or patches due to high workload.

Solutions To Prevent Burnout

To alleviate the workload and mitigate the risk of burnout in your cybersecurity team, consider implementing the following solutions:

End-user Education:   Educating employees about cybersecurity best practices can significantly reduce the number of social engineering attacks, such as phishing and business email compromise (BEC). Regular training sessions and the use of Multi-Factor Authentication can empower employees to become the first line of defence, reducing the burden on security professionals.

Automation:   Automating repetitive, time-consuming, and often mentally exhausting manual tasks can alleviate pressure on the IT team. By implementing automation tools, such as those provided by WatchGuard's Automation Core, your team can focus on tasks requiring higher levels of concentration and attention to detail. This not only enhances productivity but also improves job satisfaction and reduces burnout risk.

Consolidation of Security Technologies:   Some 57% of CISOs agree that consolidating multiple security technologies on a single platform would reduce work stress. Enterprises and MSPs often deploy disparate security solutions, and it’s common to discover that communication between teams is lacking. Frustration increases when tools are not integrated, as unnecessary extra steps may be required to complete a single task - adding to an ever-growing list.

WatchGuard provides a Unified Security Platform which addresses this problem by replacing the patchwork approach to security with a single platform. In addition to a holistic approach, this unified platform fosters a higher degree of coordination among people, processes and technologies, delivering the benefits of stronger security and improved efficiency. And efficiency today depends not only on the consolidation of solutions and processes but also on automation.

The Power of Automation & Consolidation

Automation has been proven to significantly reduce staff hours related to network security management by up to 80% compared to traditional solutions. WatchGuard's Automation Core, integrated into its unified platform, streamlines processes, eliminates wasted time and optimises network performance. By embracing automation and consolidating security technologies, you can create a powerful solution that prevents burnout in your IT team while enhancing protection for your organisation and your customers.

Preventing burnout in your cybersecurity team is crucial for maintaining a secure and sustainable work environment. Simply put these two concepts, a consolidated security platform and automation, translate into a powerful solution to help avoid burnout for your IT team and customers.

And remember, investing in the well-being of your cybersecurity professionals is an investment in the overall security of your organisation

Diana Harter is Audience Marketing Manager at WatchGuard                            Image:   Nataliya Vaitkevich

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